How wrong you are. I live about as far outside your city as one can, without being in Pender County. I use not one single asset from Wilmington. I shop on-line for nearly everything. I grocery shop in the county. My doctor is in the county. My dentist is in the county. My bank is in the county. We do have post offices out here. Quite honestly, I want nothing to do with your pipsqueak, "putting-on-airs" city. If you had a brain you'd be demanding that YOUR taxes be lowered, instead of wanting others to join you in tax hell. You're being taxed twice (city and county) but receiving absolutely nothing more than a county resident receives. BTW, I moved to NC in '73, so I'm past the "Yankee" stage, and am a full-blown carpetbagger. I've made and spent an unbelievable amount of money in this state, but you know what? Wilmington had nothing to do with even one cent of it. Mister Smiley and the rest of his SS storm troopers can't come in now, late in the game, and claim that they're somehow entitled to a cut of the fruits of my labor. No annexation, no cosolidation, just leave us alone (and we'll gladly leave you alone).